Deforestation is a major cause of climate change – putting more CO2 into the atmospherethan all of the world’s transport combined. The reality of climate change is no longer up fordebate. It is real and it is happening now. Our changing climate is the most pressingchallenge facing our world today.Keeping rainforest standing is the simplest and cheapest way to mitigate climate change.Despite this, we are destroying the world’s rainforest at a faster rate than ever. Of theworld’s remaining forests, 46% are fragmented, 30% are degraded, and only 24% areintact.Despite only covering 6% of the world’s land surface, rainforests contain 2/3 of allbiodiversity. 99% of this is still to be studied.1.6 billion people depend on the rainforests for their livelihoods. This means one in tenpeople in the world rely upon the rainforest. But rainforest people are not just victims ofdeforestation. They are the only thing that will keep rainforest safe. Local people have beenconclusively proven to be the forest’s most effective custodians.

The rainforests of Papua New Guinea are on the front line of the Palm Oil war. Of all thedrivers of deforestation, Palm Oil is the worst. An ecosystem that has taken millions of yearsto evolve is destroyed in a matter of days. Without action, half of Papua New Guinea’srainforest will be lost in the next six years.